Chapter 134: The Mother Body

At this moment, Lin Dong was quietly observing, and he discovered that the mutated fungi had indeed evolved significantly. They had learned how to deceive, and their imitation of human expressions was becoming increasingly rich.

That stubble-faced man ultimately failed to resist the temptation of the mushrooms, and his last remaining shred of reason was defeated by hunger.

With a few strides, he stepped forward and accepted the mushroom.

First, he took a bite, and his eyes lit up as if it were truly delicious. Then, he began to devour it voraciously.

Before long, a piece of mushroom was wolfed down entirely.

"Are there any more?"

"Yes."

Xiao Yan cracked a wide grin and produced another piece of white mushroom.

"Hey? Leave some for me!"

Seeing the two of them eating with such relish and appearing completely unharmed, the final youth panicked, fearing that everything would be eaten up.

Thus, completely dropping his guard, he stepped forward to ask for a mushroom.

Just like that, all three of them consumed a fair share of the mushrooms. However, their gazes grew increasingly hazy and distant, as if they were immersed in a profound sense of bliss.

Their current expressions were identical to the woman's right before her death!

Upon seeing this, the corners of Xiao Yan's mouth stretched back toward her cheekbones once more, revealing that bizarre and spine-chilling smile.

"Come with me."

"Hehehe, alright."

The three of them wore foolish, infatuated grins, resembling mentally disabled individuals. It was as if they saw stars right before their eyes, and their hands continuously clawed at empty air.

Clearly, they had fallen into hallucinations, experiencing the final sweet dreams before their deaths.

"To think they possess the ability to induce hallucinations..."

Lin Dong stood at a distance, analyzing the situation.

He watched as the three youths, wearing blank and foolish expressions and entirely losing their minds like manipulated puppets, followed Xiao Yan toward the fungal zone.

"Where are they going?"

Lin Dong could sense that their human aura was changing; they had already been parasitized by the fungi. Perhaps due to the formidable physiques of Awakened ones, red fleshy tumors had not yet sprouted on them.

Seeing the figures moving forward, Lin Dong immediately followed.

Perhaps...

This was an opportunity to locate the true core body of the fungi.

Relying on Lin Dong's stealth capabilities, Xiao Yan was completely oblivious to his presence. As they walked deeper, the forest ahead grew quiet, and red fleshy tumors reappeared all around them.

Moreover, they became increasingly dense. Upon reaching the center, countless white bones were piled up, including numerous human skulls and bird skeletons stacked layer upon layer.

*Clatter!*

That pile of white bones began to rattle, as if something was writhing underneath, about to claw its way out and break through the soil.

"Are they underground?"

Lin Dong's gaze narrowed.

Soon, several humanoid shapes condensed and stood up from the bone pile. Among them, one "person" possessed a slender build and was wearing a pristine white shirt!

"Good grief!"

Lin Dong could not help but exclaim internally, because that figure looked identical to him.

Clearly, the fungi here had once again simulated his appearance.

Among the surrounding humanoids, there was another particularly familiar one—emaciated with sharp fingernails; it was actually Xiao Ba!

The other figures were unknown to Lin Dong.

Yet without exception, they were all humans that the mutated fungi had encountered or killed.

The other "Lin Dong" possessed the strongest aura among the "mimic humans," making him unmistakably the master of this domain.

As for the rest of the individuals, including the surrounding red fleshy tumors, they were all his "minions," or rather, they should be considered his "descendants"!

Because all of them had been spread outward by him and had grown bit by bit over time.

Lin Dong clicked his tongue inwardly, realizing that if this thing were allowed to continue growing, it might genuinely give rise to a zombie legion identical to himself.

Fortunately, it had been discovered early and needed to be dealt with promptly.

Upon seeing that "Lin Dong," Xiao Yan's attitude was exceptionally respectful.

"I have brought the prey back."

"Good work."

"Lin Dong" nodded, appearing very satisfied.

His mimicry effect was stronger than all the others, appearing strikingly lifelike.

Lin Dong thought that if there were a competition for imitating him, that thing would take first place, relegating his real self to second...

Meanwhile, the three youths remained in their foolish, dazed state, continuously grasping at the "stars" before their eyes, completely oblivious to their impending death.

"Please enjoy, Queen Mother."

Xiao Yan continued.

"Queen Mother?"

Lin Dong raised an eyebrow, feeling that the title sounded somewhat bizarre. But upon second thought, it was likely because that counterfeit version of himself was their progenitor.

Just as the progenitor was about to make a move on the three of them—

And his minions' rations were about to be snatched away—

Lin Dong stopped concealing himself. He directly lifted his stealth state, his figure materializing within the dark forest.

"Hmph?"

Those mutated fungi immediately sensed his presence.

"An intruder..."

The progenitor turned its head to look.

For a moment, the two Lin Dongs locked eyes.

The fake one beside the progenitor instantly twisted its expression into a ferocious, highly aggressive snarl and charged straight at him.

Lin Dong's eyes flashed, and his terrifying Corpse Domain unfurled.

A formidable, oppressive pressure spread like a tidal wave.

*Boom, boom, boom!*

Several surrounding trees shattered into splinters. The counterfeit entities were frozen instantly in place, as if someone had hit a pause button.

Amidst flying grass and wood chips, Lin Dong drew his long saber. Flames roared to life across the blade as he swung it forward in a sweeping arc.

*Hum—*

The sound of the blade tearing through the air rang out, and the atmosphere wailed as it instantly cleaved through several humanoid figures.

They bled no blood; only white matter fluttered into the air, but the moment it touched the flames, it ignited instantly, crackling and popping.

Seeing this, the remaining mimic humans revealed expressions of terror.

They were afraid of fire!

Lin Dong leaped forward, his long saber flashing as he slashed continuously, starting to set fires everywhere. The originally pitch-black forest suddenly lit up with dazzling flames.

The progenitor's brow furrowed heavily at the sight.

It hurriedly summoned all of its "descendants."

The red fleshy tumors growing throughout the forest began to writhe, converging into the shapes of humans or animals, and rushed toward Lin Dong en masse.

They ranged from mice as small as the palm of a hand to black bears as large as boulders.

However, the strength of these tumors was not formidable; they had previously been thrashed by Tanks, and were vastly inferior even to Flppy-Ears. The moment they stepped into Lin Dong's Corpse Domain, they were crushed into explosions of pulp by the terrifying pressure, posing zero threat whatsoever.

Yet, right in the midst of this battle,

The three individuals in the distance—Ning Chuan and his companions—shook their heads, their eyes snapping back from their haze. Clearly, the commotion of the battle had jolted them awake from their illusions.

"What... happened?"

The youngest youth remained dazed, feeling as though an entire lifetime had passed.

Ning Chuan's face showed acute anxiety.

"Xiao Yan! Where is Xiao Yan?"

"Damn it, Xiao Yan my ass! We've fallen into a trap!"

The stubble-faced man's eyes split with rage.

Although the three of them had broken free from the hallucinations, their bodies had already been parasitized, and their life force was continuously draining away, leaving them weaker by the second.

"This..."

Ning Chuan stared ahead, discovering that amidst the fiery blaze, a figure was burning. Half of its body had already been incinerated, but through the remaining half of the face, he could still recognize that it was his beloved Xiao Yan.

Was she really dead?

Ning Chuan's eyes went hollow, welling up with extreme sorrow. However, gazing at the terrifying monster within the flames, his expression quickly twisted into ferocity.

"It must be you people who killed Xiao Yan!"

"Kill them!"